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Li Keqiang

Li Keqiang, born in 1955, became China's premier in March 2013. Like ex-president Hu Jintao, his power base lies with the Communist Youth League, where he was a member of the secretariat of the league’s central committee in the 1980s and later in the 1990s the secretariat’s first secretary. His regional governance experience includes a period as vice party boss, governor and party boss of Henan province between 1998 and 2003 and party boss of Liaoning province beginning in 2004. He became vice premier in 2008. Li graduated from Peking University with a degree in economics.

Searches for the name Fan Jiyue, the party chief of Lushan county, under Yaan city in Sichuan , were blocked on the mainland's two most popular microblogging platforms - Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo - after eagle-eyed internet users pointed out the mark on his left wrist, leading to suspicions that it was made by a luxury watch.

Lingering smog, dead pigs floating down waterways and rivers turned red and white - the mainland's new leadership was ushered in a month ago amid dreadful scenes in stark contrast to the "blue sky and clear water" pledged in their vision of a beautiful China.

The mainland will continue to increase investment at a "reasonable" pace, Premier Li Keqiang was quoted as saying yesterday, while promising to control risks arising from the pile of local government debt.

China's economy grew at a lower-than-expected pace in the first quarter, the first big test of Premier Li Keqiang's determination to tackle long-term issues ranging from urbanisation to reform of the financial system.

From the start, China's reform and opening up have been two halves of a whole. Yet, in recent years, signs of "closed-door reform" have emerged and in some cases have been put into practice. This is why Premier Li Keqiang's renewed call to push for reform by opening up is notable.

The central government has made stabilising and sustaining economic growth and basic price stability policy priorities this year, according to a statement issued yesterday after a cabinet meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

Discourse may matter in the dynamic between Hong Kong and the mainland. At Premier Li Keqiang's maiden press conference on March 17, Phoenix Satellite Television host Tiger Hu Yihu likened the 36 measures to boost economic ties between Hong Kong and the mainland, announced by Li during his visit to the city in 2011, to a "big gift box".

The division of labour between the State Council's four vice-premiers and five state councillors, appointed last week, has yet to be made public, but the activities of two of the vice-premiers this week may shed light on their responsibilities.